Metrolinx and Kids’ Safety Village renew partnership
Metrolinx, the province’s transit authority, renewed its commitment to the Durham Kids’ Safety Village, donating $30,000 toward upkeep and maintenance of the facility. On hand for the cheque presentation were Dave Ryan, Kids’ Safety Village board member; DRPS Staff Sgt. Darren Nesbitt; Lennis Trotter, chairman of the board for the Kids’ Safety Village; Sandra McDowell, publisher of The Oshawa Express and with the Kids’ Safety Village; Peter Tietze, Kids’ Safety Village board member; Bill Grodzinski, director of safety and security for Metrolinx; Steve Harvey, manager of operational support for safety and security for Metrolinx; Const. Astrid Morse, the constable in charge of the Kids’ Safety Village; and Peter Mohyla, a community safety officer with GO Transit.
By Graeme McNaughton/The Oshawa Express
Metrolinx, the province’s transit authority, has renewed its partnership with the Durham Kids’ Safety Village with a $30,000 donation.
The money will go towards fixing up the facility, which plays host to children throughout Durham Region who learn about safety of all kinds, whether it’s on the road or behind a computer.
“We were an original part in this safety village. From our perspective, we see the value of what they teach here,” says Bill Grodzinski, Metrolinx’s director of safety and security. “The notion of taking your safety seriously is number one. And that’s in more than just our trains and buses. That’s in our parking lots, stations and anywhere in between. It’s all about a broader theme of social responsibility.”
The donation from Metrolinx will go towards repairing the miniature GO station that is in the village, as well as toward a planned expansion of the safety classroom.
Other organizations, including several local branches of the Rotary Club, the Ministry of Transportation and the Optimist Club, have signed on for donations as well.
Over the past 20 years, with more than a quarter million children passing through the front gates, a lot has changed as far as safety goes.
“The message is the same, but the distractions are different. Not everyone had cellphones or the devices that we have today. Kids are more socially connected today. We have distracted driving too. Kids need to be aware of that car coming the other way,” says Steve Harvey, Metrolinx’s manager of operational support for safety and security, who was also at the site more than two decades ago when it first opened. “Kids need to know the right time and wrong time to use these electronic devices and to be extra aware.”
The Durham Kids’ Safety Village, located at 1449 Athol St. in Whitby, is set to have its grand reopening on Oct. 5 at 10 a.m.